Finding Maggie

Chapter Eight - The Vote

The vote ended up as six in favor and five against. Sighing, Mikhail rose from his chair and thanked the group for their time. This same meeting had already occurred nine times before and this was the first meeting where the vote hadn't come back as all eleven against. The men headed back to the stables after grabbing their coats and gear. The women hovered by the front door for several minutes before finally donning their outer-garments and strolling down the lawn together, all the while laughing and jeering at each other.

Mikhail stood and watched his team leave, shaking his head to no one but himself. For as much as they could be frustrating, they always seemed to get their jobs done and done well. And in the end that was all that really ever mattered. Once he was sure the eleven were well enough away, Mikhail bolted back up the stairs to check in on Maggie.

Maggie had awoken when the sound of Vana's screams had made it up to the bedroom where she had been sleeping. Too frightened to leave the room, she instead curled herself up under the blankets and tried to cover her ears with the pillow. When the screaming had ceased, Maggie had gotten up and tried to open the door only to find it locked from the outside. She then sat down on the floor, worried that she had completely misjudged Mikhail from the start.

Muffled noises came through the floor vent near where Maggie was sitting and she found herself lowering her ear down to listen in on what seemed to be an argument over her. She listened to Mikhail's small rant and then as one of the other men questioned her own purity. Then, to her surprise, they cast a vote, of which Maggie had no idea what for, or what the outcome was.

Several minutes later, Maggie heard the main door open and shut several times and then footsteps as someone climbed the stairs. She scrambled back into the bed as quickly as she could, hoping Mikhail would let her alone if he thought she was still asleep. She closed her eyes and made sure to breathe slowly as she listened to the sound of the door being unlocked and then quietly opened.

Mikhail tread softly across the room and leaned over Margret to find her still sleeping. Not wanting to disturb his newly-won prize, he retreated back to the corner of the room and took a seat on the small sofa near the dresser. He had waited so long for her he could wait at least another few hours, especially if Margret required the rest. There was work he needed to do but it would just have to wait until he knew Margret was okay.

Maggie silently willed Mikhail to leave the room, wishing she had never agreed to dinner with him in the first place. He had yet to do anything really wrong, other than that rather child-like slap on her wrist and locking her into a bedroom. But, something inside Maggie's heart told her she needed to get out of there. There were just too many strange things going on, too many unanswered questions, and far too many worries to feel safe in a place like that. The question now was whether or not she could trust Mikhail to do the right thing and let her go home.

After what seemed like hours, Mikhail had yet to leave the room and Maggie's will to wait him out began to falter. If he really was trouble, wouldn't it be easier for him to take advantage of a sleeping woman rather than wait for her to wake up? Maggie thought so and although she was still scared to the point of shaking, she made the choice to sit up.

Mikhail lifted his head from his chest when he heard the bed creak as Margret sat up and stretched. "Hi." She said, refusing to look him in the eyes.

"Hello."

"Mind if I use the bathroom?"

"No. Just out the door and down the hall. Second door on your right." Maggie bolted out of the bed and practically ran out of the room, leaving Mikhail to muse to himself. She was adorable, the way she tried so hard to act confident. Her bated breaths and shaking hands all told a different story.

Maggie locked herself in the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror for several moments before she bolstered enough courage to look up and see herself in the reflection. Between the dirt in her hair from the stables, her smudged makeup, and the redness of her eyes, Maggie wasn't at all impressed with her appearance. She washed her face as best as she could and managed to comb her hair back out. The redness would have to wait until she could get a good night's sleep. Taking several long breaths, Maggie straightened her spine and pulled her shoulders back before returning to the bedroom where Mikhail was still waiting for her. "Mikhail," She began, not giving Mikhail the chance to speak first. "We need to talk."

"Of course, have a seat."

"No, I'd like to go home first."

"As you wish." Mikhail stood and let Margret to lead the way down the stairs and out to the drive. The ride home was silent as Maggie prepared the questions she wanted to ask, much like she did before she went into court. Mikhail stayed quiet because it was obvious that she wished it that way. Her cheeks blushed several times throughout the long drive back to her apartment, and Mikhail couldn't wait to find out just exactly what was on her mind.

Once the lights of the city grew on the horizon Maggie began to calm, knowing that Mikhail was keeping his word and was taking her home. She was grateful to be out of his house and away from those creepy people. A few of them seemed nice enough but their demeanor had left much to be desired. Never once had she been to a party with such odd guests and she had been to a lot of parties in her lifetime. Promising herself that she would remain in control, she let Mikhail assist her out of the car before unlocking the front door to her apartment complex and inviting him inside.